The sun was still hidden behind the horizon as Fluttershy woke up. She stretched, letting out a sleepy yawn, and rubbed at her eyes. Her bed was warm and inviting, but the cloying scent of tea and warm oats had nudged her from her rest, and she sat up in bed. Discord sat at the foot of her bed, a tray improbably floating in the air within her reach. There was tea, and oatmeal, and some brown sugar and cream. Something to fill her up for the day ahead. Discord held his own cup, a oversize mug of black coffee, and he blew gently on the surface of the steaming liquid before taking a slow sip. He noticed her, then, and a smile of his own spread across his muzzle. "Good morning, dear Fluttershy."
"Good morning, Discord. Breakfast in bed?" she said as she eyed the tray appreciatively.
Discord smirked. "Oh, you thought this was for you? How presumptive! When have I ever made you breakfast in bed?"
"Never," Fluttershy admitted, but she could tell he was teasing her. She prodded him with a hind leg, "But that doesn't mean today isn't a good day to start."
"I thought so, too. Eat up, my dear, we've got a big day ahead of us!" Discord said, slurping down his coffee in a single swallow and banishing the giant mug to some alternate dimension. With a bounce, he flew through the air and out of the open window, startling her nesting bird friends with his laughter.
Fluttershy giggled, pulling the floating tray onto her bed and taking a sip of the tea. It was a bit stronger than she liked it, but he was trying, and that was what was important. She finished her breakfast with time to spare, finally climbing out of bed just as the sun rose. She stretched her wings out, giving them a few flaps to straighten out her feathers from their slightly rumpled state, and walked to the top of the stairs. Discord was below, judging by the sounds of chattering animals and his quiet grumbles. She trotted down the stairs and paused on the bottom step, blinking at the sight before her.
Discord was coiled across the floor, surrounded by her indoor animals. They crowded around their bowls of food, which were full. Discord had Angel Bunny in one hand, and was trying to feed the rabbit a carrot with the other. Angel was stubbornly refusing, and Discord was muttering quiet threats under his breath. He let out an exhausted sigh when he spotted Fluttershy. "Honestly, I don't know how you do it. Every morning. They're all so... demanding!"
Fluttershy smiled, trotting across the room and scooping up Angel Bunny and the carrot. "Not any more demanding than you are."
Discord gave a faux-offended sniff. "Well, then, I suppose I should count myself lucky that you decided to add me to your menagerie."
Fluttershy raised one eyebrow skeptically at Discord as she coerced Angel Bunny into eating the carrot. "I seem to recall someone fighting Celestia and making a fool of himself in his effort to join said menagerie."
Discord smiled a slow, amused smile back at the sassy pegasus pony. "Touché, mon chérie. You're awfully feisty this morning."
"I have to be, with someone like you around!" Fluttershy teased, feeling a small blush rise to her cheeks. She loved this banter, their back-and-forth. It was one of her favorite parts of their relationship. She felt so... emboldened, able be feisty and a tease, because she knew that Discord was someone she could feel safe with.
Discord chuckled and leaned over, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head, his muzzle deep in her mane. He lingered there for a moment, and she could feel him inhale her scent, and she shivered slightly. It felt good to be cherished so deeply. She laughed and pushed his nose away, catching a brief glimpse of a rosy tint to his cheeks, before he snaked away, whirling through the room and into the kitchen. "By the by," he called, "We're low on bird seed. Do you want me to go to the market and pick some up?"
"We should go together. You're terrible at picking out birdseed," she replied.
Discord stuck his head out of the kitchen, looking stricken. "Fluttershy! You wound me! How was I to know that your birds are such fussy eaters!"
"You brought back a ten pound bag of sprinkles that you'd stolen from Sugarcube Corner, last time."
Discord snickered. "I thought they'd like it! A change in the routine!"
"Animals are creatures of habit, Discord," Fluttershy explained as she set down Angel Bunny, who had finally accepted the carrot with a huff.
"Well, I'm not!" Discord said, his head disappearing once more.
"You're not an animal, silly," Fluttershy called out, shaking her head in exasperation.
"That's not what you said last night!" Discord sang from somewhere in the kitchen.
Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "I said no such thing. You weren't even here last night!"
It was silent for a brief, pregnant moment, before Discord called out, "T-that's not what your mom said last night?"
Fluttershy shook her head and sighed, trotting into the kitchen. "That's the best you've got? Are you going soft on me?"
Discord was cleaning the dishes from breakfast. That is to say, Discord was sitting on a stool, reading a newspaper, and the dishes had sprouted tiny arms and legs and were washing themselves in the sink. He peered over the paper at Fluttershy, "I have gotten a bit domesticated, haven't I?"
Fluttershy laughed. "Maybe a little," she said, but she dropped the teasing tone, "but I like it. It's really nice having you here and helping me more."
Discord smiled a genuine smile. "Then... you're happy?"
Fluttershy stretched up on the tips of her hooves and gave him a gentle kiss on the bottom of his chin. "Yes."
Discord blushed and squirmed happily in his seat. "Perfect."